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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Taiwan
Timeline

I'm honestly curious.  What is the advantage of filing the I-130 electronically as a stand alone form for adjustment of status? What do you plan to mail along with the I-485 to connect it to the already submitted I-130?  Do you plan to also mail the I-765, I-131, & I-944 with the I-485?

Edited by Lucky Cat

"The US immigration process requires a great deal of knowledge, planning, time, patience, and a significant amount of money.  It is quite a journey!"

- Some old child of the 50's & 60's on his laptop 

 

Senior Master Sergeant, US Air Force- Retired (after 20+ years)- Missile Systems Maintenance & Titan 2 ICBM Launch Crew Duty (200+ Alert tours)

Registered Nurse- Retired- I practiced in the areas of Labor & Delivery, Home Health, Adolescent Psych, & Adult Psych.

IT Professional- Retired- Web Site Design, Hardware Maintenance, Compound Pharmacy Software Trainer, On-site go live support, Database Manager, App Designer.

______________________________________

August 7, 2022: Wife filed N-400 Online under 5 year rule.

November 10, 2022: Received "Interview is scheduled" letter.

December 12, 2022:  Received email from Dallas office informing me (spouse) to be there for combo interview.

December 14, 2022: Combo Interview for I-751 and N-400 Conducted.

January 26, 2023: Wife's Oath Ceremony completed at the Plano Event Center, Plano, Texas!!!😁

February 6, 2023: Wife's Passport Application submitted in Dallas, Texas.

March 21, 2023:   Wife's Passport Delivered!!!!

May 15, 2023 (about):  Naturalization Certificate returned from Passport agency!!

 

In summary, it took 13 months for approval of the CR-1.  It took 44 months for approval of the I-751.  It took 4 months for approval of the N-400.   It took 172 days from N-400 application to Oath Ceremony.   It took 6 weeks for Passport, then 7 additional weeks for return of wife's Naturalization Certificate.. 
 

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20 hours ago, Lucky Cat said:

I'm honestly curious.  What is the advantage of filing the I-130 electronically as a stand alone form for adjustment of status? What do you plan to mail along with the I-485 to connect it to the already submitted I-130?  Do you plan to also mail the I-765, I-131, & I-944 with the I-485?

I guess, practically there is no advantage, it's just my personal preferences. I like trying new things, especially when they get more advanced technologically. What I do like though in this form over paper/PDF is the ease of working with it - all the information fits in fields, no need to add new pages for additional data. To me, there is also a benefit of having it submitted the same moment I pay and to see the status in my online account. I doubt it has any impact on the processing time, but it at least creates a sense of control.

 

Yes, we'll have to mail the rest of the forms. There is a question in Part 2 of I-485, where I can enter the I-130 receipt number. It might also be a good idea to explain it in the cover letter.

 

I'll comment in the future if it creates any difficulties.

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 4/12/2020 at 3:57 AM, MadMaxSF said:

Thanks for this! One question: what about form I-130A ? Can that be done online as well?

Oh, I missed that part. There is no online form for I-130A yet. A PDF needs to be filled out, signed, and then attached to the I-130 in the evidence section. So technically it is still done online along with the I-130

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I am filling I-130 online. One of the glitches I am facing is around the current address and address history for past 5 years.

 

For the current address, it doesn’t ask for from/to dates. And for any previous addresses you add, there is no option to leave the “to date” field empty or enter “present”. So here are the options I am left with (per the pdf generated)

 

a) In the address history section, start with current address (with both from and to dates empty), followed by previous address (with from and to dates)

 

b) In the address history section, start with current address (with both from and to dates empty), followed by current address again (with from date and to date same as the filing date), followed by previous address (with from and to dates)

 

which is better?

Edited by jamburger
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1 hour ago, jamburger said:

a) In the address history section, start with current address (with both from and to dates empty), followed by previous address (with from and to dates)

 

b) In the address history section, start with current address (with both from and to dates empty), followed by current address again (with from date and to date same as the filing date), followed by previous address (with from and to dates)

 

which is better?

I used option A in our case. I don't know what is better and suspect it will take a while these days before we hear back from them

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  • 2 months later...
Filed: AOS (apr) Country: Sweden
Timeline
On 4/8/2020 at 4:03 PM, Dispie said:

 

I just wanted to share with others the experience and issues I had during the fill-out process.

Since I-485 is not available online, we decided to file I-130 electronically and then mail the I-485.

 

Generally, I found the online form to be way more convenient than the PDF. It has a nice flow section by section, similar to other governmental forms. Many fields are assisted, leaving fewer places for error. Attaching documents, such as bona fide evidence, is indeed a pleasure. All attachments should be PDF, JPG or TIFF. Adding addresses, relatives, work experience and other multiple entries is user friendly. Though, some surprises during the process made me spend extra time googling the most accurate process.

 

Here is a list of things you may face as of quarantine on April 1st.

  1. The form requires entering most of the fields. It can show a warning message "You should provide a response.", though be careful - not every single time you have to do it as it may make no sense. For example, if a parent is deceased it still asks to input the residence country from the drop-down list. If you selected something, you can press delete or backspace and then move on ignoring that warning. Same with the question "When did your spouse live together?" - there is no option to say "present", just skip the date and ignore the warning.
  2. On the page about the current spouse, it asks "When did your last marriage end?". Logically you would put a date when the previous marriage ended. Well, skip it. Just click "next". On the next page, you will have a chance to input that. If you actually input that date on the current spouse page, in the generated PDF this date will show under your current spouse as "Date marriage ended". Dah.
  3. The same goes for the beneficiary's current spouse (you) - don't put the date when the last marriage ended.
  4. "Adjustment of status" section. Fill either USCIS office if your spouse is in the U.S. or the Embassy on the next page if outside. Again, ignore warnings if you clicked on the empty fields.
  5. Name in native language should be uploaded as an attachment. I just used MS Word to type "First Name in <language>: ..." and "Last Name in <language>: ..", saved it as PDF and attached.
  6. Evidence attachment is a simple file selection or drag-n-drop. Same rules as for mailing the form. Add all you can in each section where it says to. If certain documents are in a different language, they should be uploaded in both the original language and English. I assume it's better not to upload the photos you have as separate files. As above, I created in MS Word a basic timelined photo album of 16 photos (4 on each page) and saved it as a PDF. Not all PDFs are accepted for some reason, for example, my PGE bills in PDF didn't work. As a workaround, I had to open them, print "as PDF" and attach that newly created file. By the way, the maximum file size is 6MB so you may need to split some large documents, after first trying to compress them in Adobe Acrobat online.
  7. The weird thing - the form won't let you leave the evidence section unless you upload at least one document in each of the boxes. Well, it's a good way to keep us from missing something but it may be annoying too. If you want to leave that page to be able to check other pages in the form, click "back" in your browser and you'll be free to go.
  8. The weird thing 2 - if you click next on the evidence from, it takes you to the "additional evidence" section, aka secondary evidence. If you are all set and don't have a reason to add the secondary evidence documents, you are supposed to be able to skip this section. Not in this form though. You won't be able to proceed to the next section, which is "Review and Submit" if you don't add anything here. I used the same trick - click the "back" button and get out of this trap, you don't have to add anything here unless it is a requirement for your particular case.
  9. The "Review and Submit" section has a basic quality check tool, which shows you if everything looks normal. It also tells you what the cost of the application is. There you can review all the entries on one page, as well as all the attachments. On the bottom, you may see affidavits missing - those are only related to the secondary evidence when you cannot establish your citizenship, not other affidavits and written statements.
  10. You can also download a PDF, which looks exactly like the I-130 PDF but filled out with the data you entered. It puts everything in the correct format, including additional pages for addresses or other information, which didn't fit in the form. Some glitches I could find in that form: When you put a company address, you cannot make a selection of "apt" or "floor" so in the form it will not be checked. In Part 4 "Beneficiary's address" the entries are numbered as 43, though the form says it should be 11. In Part 4, 13a it doesn't put "SAME" while the form requires it. In Part 6, the Petitioner statement is empty, the box that I read and understand English is not checked - you will actually answer this question and provide your electronic signature on the next page prior to submission. Evidence list has only one page and it lists all the attachments you uploaded - it didn't fit in my case so it went beyond the borders and cut off on the edge of the page.
  11. Next, you electronically signed the petition and it takes you to the online payment page. 
  12. After submission, in the case status, there is an option to download that same completed PDF as well as any attachments I uploaded in the form - nice to have feature, comparing to mailing.

Any updates on how it worked out? We are trying to decide if we should do this or not. 

AOS

08/25/2020 - Sent I-130, I-485, I-131 and I-765 to Chicago Lockbox using USPS                                         11/06/2020 - Received physical receipt notice for I-765 in the mail

08/28/2020 - Package was received by USCIS                                                                                                   12/15/2020 - Online account updated and indicated the I-944 RFIE was sent

09/25/2020 - Debit Card was charged by USCIS                                                                                                 12/28/2020 - Recieved the I-944 RFIE via e-mail after speaking with a tier 2 officer

09/29/2020 - Recieved text notifications from USCIS with reciept numbers                                                  1/11/2021 - Responded to the RFIE and sent the I-944 to USCIS 

10/01/2020 - Recieved rejected I-765 back                                                                                                           3/3/2021 - Biometrics scheduled for 03/29

10/05/2020 - Recieved physical reciept notices in the mail

10/06/2020 - Sent I-765 to Chicago Lockbox using UPS

10/09/2020 - Package was recieved by USCIS

10/30/2020 - Recieved text notication from USCIS with reciept number for I-765

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18 hours ago, mbssss said:

Any updates on how it worked out? We are trying to decide if we should do this or not. 

No updates yet. The day we submitted (April 2nd), they set the status to "In Process" and have been updating the date once in a while.

Now:

June 30, 2020

In Process
Your benefit request has been accepted and is under review.

 

The I-130 Receipt Notice was available for download the same day, and they also mailed it. We attached the receipt notice to our mailed I-485. There is also a place in the form to add the receipt number. No questions so far.

 

After struggling with I-485 and particularly I-944 collecting/printing evidence, I wish we could have all these forms online.

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  • 2 months later...
Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Vietnam
Timeline

Hello. My husband just submitted the i-130 today. However we couldn't find the additional information part in the snapshot even though we already put them in and check it carefully before we submit it. Do you have any idea with this issue?

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50 minutes ago, Nova83 said:

Hello. My husband just submitted the i-130 today. However we couldn't find the additional information part in the snapshot even though we already put them in and check it carefully before we submit it. Do you have any idea with this issue?

I've glanced through my snapshot and not sure which additional information you are talking about. Is it the extra pages as part 9 of the paper form?

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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Vietnam
Timeline
Just now, Dispie said:

I've glanced through my snapshot and not sure which additional information you are talking about. Is it the extra pages as part 9 of the paper form?

Yes it is. 

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12 minutes ago, Nova83 said:

Yes it is. 

Could be another glitch. In my case, page 12 is the evidence list (filenames that I attached) and then pages 13-15 contain information that didn't fit in the form, such as an extra address. It doesn't show it as Part 9 - the pages are nearly empty with a few filled out boxes

 

image.thumb.png.1f2d274314a0bdfcd37518a97f9f39b5.png

Edited by Dispie
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Filed: IR-1/CR-1 Visa Country: Vietnam
Timeline
10 hours ago, Dispie said:

Could be another glitch. In my case, page 12 is the evidence list (filenames that I attached) and then pages 13-15 contain information that didn't fit in the form, such as an extra address. It doesn't show it as Part 9 - the pages are nearly empty with a few filled out boxes

 

image.thumb.png.1f2d274314a0bdfcd37518a97f9f39b5.png

I finally found the part in Documents tab named Additional responses... 

Thank you! The wait begins for me and good luck on your application 😊

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  • 2 weeks later...
Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Malaysia
Timeline

@Dispie @mbssss Having filed many I-130's (paper and electronic) and adjustment of statuses (concurrent paper I-130/ I-485 filings and separate I-130/ I-485 filings) for various family members, I can categorically tell you that it is better to file a concurrent I-130 and I-485 package versus breaking them apart into 2 separate filings.


Yes- the online I-130 filing is most certainly a breeze compared to the paper version and has a tremendous benefit of time saving for those who are planning on consular processing with the electronic transmission of the approved I-130 to the NVC, eliminating 30 - 55 days of waiting time after  I-130 approval (no need for USCIS to send paper package from approving service center to NVC, no need for NVC manual data entry from USCIS forms to create NVC case)

 

However, you aren't doing consular processing but rather an adjustment of status. Based on my experience, my recommendation is always to go with the concurrent albeit paper filing.

 

Why?  For concurrent filings, both I-130 and I-485 is adjudicated by the same local USCIS FO. For separate filings, they are adjudicated separately by 2 different officers with 2 different timelines at least for paper separate filings. I'm not sure if a local FO adjudicator is able to pull down an electronic I-130 while adjudicating a paper I-485 but please do share back. Pre-COVID, I have seen I-485 interviews being scheduled by local FO within 60 days of I-485 filing and have seen I-130's taking 6 months to adjudicate by a USCIS service center. 

 

Therefore, my perspective is that saving an hour with an electronic I-130 is NEVER preferable to concurrent paper filings. Just my 2 cents.

 

Edited by ultrasoul

I-130 JOURNEY FOR 2020 Minor Child of LPR (F2A Online Application, MNL Consular Processing)

07/29/20 Online Filing for I-130, Same day Priority date 
07/31/20 Paper NOA1 mailed by USCIS, received on 08/03/20

07/31/20, 08/15/20, 09/01,20 Expedite Requests denied three times (self-submission and congressman outreach)

09/28/20: I-130 Approved by USCIS, received mailed NOA2 on 10/01/20

10/01/20: NVC electronically receives I-130 petition from USCIS, generates NVC case & invoice number, paid all NVC fees same day

10/05/19: CEAC ready for document uploads

TBD: Waiting for NBI Police Clearance to complete all upload of NVC docs

 

I-130 JOURNEY FOR 2019 Parent of USC (IR-5 Paper Application, MNL Consular Processing)

01/18/19 NOA1 I-130 (Priority Date)

08/02/19 Called USCIS to expedite I-130 after 196 days pending,  emailed expedite evidence 08/06/1,  expedite approved 08/09/19

08/13/19: I-130 Approved by USCIS, USCIS sent petition file to NVC 08/29/19 

09/09/19: NVC receives I-130 petition from USCISgenerates case & invoice number on 10/03/19 (paid all NVC fees same day)

10/07/19: CEAC ready for document uploads (AOS and IV documents uploaded to CEAC same day)

11/25/19: NVC Case Complete, NVC emails interview schedules interview on 12/18/19 for 01/06/20

01/06/20: IR-5 Interview in Manila Philippines embassy (MNL); forgot original signed I-864 resulted in 221GUSEM receives original signed I-864 via 2GO courier on 02/04/20
3/4/20: Immigrant Visa Issued by USEM, 2GO carrier picked up passport from USEM 3/6/20 and delivers to residence on 3/10/20

6/10/20: US POE

6/13/20: SSN card mailed date by SSA, delivered to residence on 6/18/20

7/3/20: LPR Green Card ordered, Production on 7/24/20, Mailed by USCIS on 7/27/20, delivered to residence on 7/29/20

 

I-130/ I-485 JOURNEY FOR 2019 Parent of USC (IR-5 Paper Application)

01/18/19: NOA1 Received I-130 (priority date, was not concurrently filed with I-485 as we were not sure if we were going to CP or AOS)

06/19/19: USPS receives I-485 package to lockbox (priority date); 06/24/19: Credit card charged ,  USCIS mails out NOA1 06/25/19 with receipt numbers (assigned to MSC National Benefits center),  Received NOA1 from USPS (07/02/19:)

07/05/19:  USCIS mailsout biometrics appointment notice with appointment date for 07/24/19, Received biometrics notice letter from USPS 07/11/19
07/12/19: Walk-in biometrics completed

07/18/19: Called USCIS to expedite EADReceived mailed USCIS instructions on where to fax expedite evidence from USPS 07/26/19 Faxed requested evidence for EAD expedite  07/27/19
07/31/19: USCIS approves EAD I-765 and Advanced Parole I-131, USCIS mails out combo EAD/ AP card 08/02/19, Received combo EAD/ AP card via USPS Priority Mail 08/07/19

08/08/19: I-485 Case is Ready to Be Scheduled for An Interview
08/26/19: I-130 Approved (NOA2) by USCIS

12/10/19: FO sends out I-485 interview appointment details for 01/28/20 interview date 

02/06/20: I-485 case approved and NOA2 mailed
02/05/20: Green card ordered, Production and mailed 02/10/20, delivered to residence on 
02/12/20

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